Rio De Janeiro: Home of the 2016 Paralympic Games

The 2016 Paralympic Games will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this summer. This year marks the fifteenth Paralympics. All competitions will be held in the city of Rio de Janeiro. According to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 bid committee, the bid’s concept is based on four principles: technical excellence, the experience of a lifetime, transformation, and supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

Image by Paul Townseed via Flickr

A Little History…

In 1945, the Olympics allowed injured soldiers in World War II to compete. In 1948, the first competition for athletes with impairment occurred - it was very successful and brought about a lot of attention. Because of this, the Paralympic Games were officially held and seen as equal to the Olympics in Rome, Italy, in 1960.

Continuing to Grow

After the huge success of the London 2012 Summer Games and the Winter 2014 Games, Rio de Janeiro wants to make this event a large celebration. In the London 2012 Paralympic Games, there were over 20 active duty and veteran athletics competing. Several of those athletes plan to compete again in the 2016 Games.

Brad Snyder, a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant, won a gold medal for swimming in the 2012 games. Melissa Stockwell, a retired U.S. Army, competed in swimming in 2012. Jessica Long, a 24-year-old who has competed in 3 Paralympic Games, began her athletic career at just 12 years old. All of these individuals will continue their Paralympic journey in the 2016 games.

Additional facts about the 2016 Paralympic Games include:

• This is the first Paralympics to be held in South America
• The Paralympic Games will be held September 7th to September 18th
• The opening ceremony occurs on Brazil’s Independence Day, September 7
• There will be 4,350 athletes from 176 countries in attendance
• There will be 528 medal events in 23 sports taking place in just 11 days
• Two new sports - canoe and para triathlon - are being introduced this year
• 60 Paralympic athletes are competing in the canoeing event
• The para triathlon will feature a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike, and a 5-kilometer run
• There will be 21 competition venues spread out across Deodoro, Barra, Maracanã, and Copacabana
• The Olympic park, including Olympic and Paralympics, will be 185 acres in size.

The Paralympic Games leave an important legacy in changing people’s perception of disabilities. For more information regarding the 2016 Paralympic Games, visit http://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics.